The present invention relates to a separation device which separates, from a pressure sensitive adhesive sheet, an electronic component stuck on the pressure sensitive adhesive sheet, and a pickup system including the separation device.
There has been proposed a system which picks up an electronic component from a pressure sensitive adhesive sheet on which a plurality of electronic components are stuck, and inspected or stored in a predetermined container. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6-236919 (literature 1) has disclosed a technique associated with this system. As shown in FIG. 13, this system includes a flat plate-like suction stage 901 on which a pressure sensitive adhesive sheet is mounted. The suction stage 901 includes an opening 902 formed at almost the center of the suction stage 901, and a push-up pin 903 which projects from the opening 902.
When picking up an electronic component stuck on a pressure sensitive adhesive sheet, first, the pressure sensitive adhesive sheet is mounted on the suction stage 901 with a surface, on which no electronic component is stuck, facing down, and an electronic component to be picked up is arranged on the opening 902. In this state, as shown in FIG. 14 an electronic component D is pushed up by the push-up pin 903 via a pressure sensitive adhesive sheet S, separating the electronic component D from the pressure sensitive adhesive sheet S. The electronic component D is then picked up by a collet or the like.
However, in the above-described related art, the electronic component D is pushed up by the push-up pin 903, so a shock is applied to the electronic component D to damage it in some cases.